PHOTOS: Trudeau draws thousands for Delta speech

About 2,000 fans, well-wishers and party faithful showed up to hear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speak at a community barbecue thrown by local Liberal Party volunteers.

The excitement in the air was palpable leading up to Trudeau’s speech at Didar Blueberry Farm on 104th Street in East Delta. The road was backed up in both directions as thousands of people made their way onto the property, parking a 10-minute walk from the barbecue itself and walking through the berry fields to catch a glimpse and maybe even snap a selfie with the prime minister.

The crowd cheered loudly during opening remarks from Minister of National Defence and Vancouver South MP Harjit Sajjan, and again as Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility and Delta MP Carla Qualtrough brought the prime minister up on stage.

Trudeau began by praising the hard work of Liberal Party volunteers and officially announcing Qualtrough as the party’s candidate for Delta in the upcoming federal election.

Trudeau went on to delivered a speech tailored for the crowd of Liberal supporters, one touting the government’s accomplishments over the past nearly three years.

“There are folks out there who think that this government hasn’t delivered enough for people, that we’re more focused on selfies than we are on substance,” Trudeau said looking over a sea of cell phones and smiling faces.

He went on to list a number of things the government has done during its term in office, including the Canada Child Benefit, increasing the guaranteed income supplement for seniors, and re-opening veterans centres closed by the previous Conservative administration.

“Tell that to young people who now don’t have to start paying back their student debts until they’re making $25,000 a year, with more up-front grants, more jobs, more help for our young people,” Trudeau continued. “And tell that to people who understand that we as a country need to hit our Paris targets. We need to show that leadership on the environment and growing the economy goes together. That’s what British Columbians understand, that’s what Canadians understand.”

Trudeau used the latter part of his roughly five-minute speech calling for cooperation and positivity in politics, especially in the run up to the federal election in 2019.

“We have an awful lot of hard work to do and we only do it by working together, by leaning on each other, by pushing back against the politics of fear and division, the old ways that are trying to attack the people, forcing false choices,” the prime minister said. “We know that listening to others, respecting each other and focus on pulling people together is the only way to build a stronger future for us all, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

“We need to send that clear message that the politics of pettiness, of personal attacks, of negativity has no place in Canada, and at the same time we’ll demonstrate right around the world that politics that are positive and thoughtful and focused on bringing people together is the only way to build a better world,” Trudeau continued. “That’s a message that’s more important now than it ever has been.”

104th Street was a virtual parking lot in both directions as thousands came out to hear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speak at a community barbecue on Aug. 5. (James Smith photo)

The long lines to get in wove their way through the fields of Didar Blueberry Farm as thousands came out to hear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speak at a community barbecue on Aug. 5. (James Smith photo)

It was a roughly 10-minute walk from the parking to the event, but some managed to hitch rides through the fields of Didar Blueberry Farm to hear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speak at a community barbecue on Aug. 5. (James Smith photo)

A single protester was seen walking along 104th street outside the event. The other side of his sign read “Pipelines = Tar Sands Expansion.” (James Smith photo)

The crowd cheered loudly during opening remarks from Minister of National Defence and Vancouver South MP Harjit Sajjan. (James Smith photo)

Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility and Delta MP Carla Qualtrough brought the prime minister up on stage. (James Smith photo)

“There are folks out there who think that this government hasn’t delivered enough for people, that we’re more focused on selfies than we are on substance,” Trudeau said looking over a sea of cell phones and smiling faces. (James Smith photo)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Delta on Aug. 5 for a community barbecue with party supporters. (James Smith photo)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for positivity and cooperation in politics, especially in the run up tot he 2019 federal election, during his speech at a community barbecue on Aug. 5. (James Smith photo)

Trudeau was barely visible trough the crowd as the thousands of people in attendance tried to shake his hand and snap a selfie with the prime minister following his speech on Aug. 5. (James Smith photo)

Trudeau waves goodbye as he leaves a community barbecue on Aug. 5. (James Smith photo)